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The next day, Remus was missing. Again. Thankfully, Dora had woken up on time and didn't have to sit next to Sirius in transfiguration. While Peter had managed to grab the seat next to James, Sirius, who kept glaring behind him at an oblivious Peter, was sitting next to some poor Hufflepuff girl Dora didn't remember the name of.
"Why's Sirius sitting next to that girl?" Dora whispered to Kingsley as they took their seats. Dora had been at Hogwarts long enough now to know that McGonagall was probably the strictest of all her teachers, and, after that detention she had suffered through with Sirius, she knew better than to get caught talking in transfiguration.
Kingsley looked over to where Dora had gestured, to Sirius, with a scowl on his face and his chin resting on the desk in the back of the classroom. Kingsley looked back to Dora and shrugged.
"You ask such random questions."
"It's not random, I just don't have time to explain my thought process," Dora whispered back, glancing up at McGonagall, who had her back turned to the class as she finished up writing the lesson plan on the chalkboard. "But seeing as you didn't understand," Dora stressed and Kingsley rolled his eyes, "I'll explain. That's not where Sirius usually sits, or who Sirius usually sits with."
"I'm going to need more information," Kingsley said when Dora paused expectantly. She sighed and continued.
"Remus isn't here."
"Okay," Kingsley said, waiting for her to say more. "And?"
"And?" Dora's eyes widened in exasperation. "And...why? Where is he?"
"Ill?"
"He's always ill."
"He's not always ill, he was in class yesterday."
"This isn't normal." Dora didn't care if Kingsley thought her suspicions were getting the best of her. Something was up, she knew it. Sirius was never this grumpy, the last time he was like this, they'd both got detention. And the only common denominator there was Remus's absence. It meant something, she was sure, and maybe she was just looking for something to entertain her during transfiguration, but she was not going to drop this. Except for when McGonagall was looking at her.
Dora shut her mouth as McGonagall finished writing 'switching spell' and the instructions for the class on the chalk board. She stood facing the class, holding her wand in one hand with it resting in the palm of the other as she waited for each student to realise she was ready to start teaching.
"Mr Pettigrew," she said sternly but calmly, in that terrifying way only teachers can speak. Poor Peter sat up straight so quickly he nearly shot out of his seat. He'd been so eagerly chatting with James he hadn't realised he was the only one left talking. "If you're quite ready."
Peter's face flushed red and he just about managed to nod under everyone's attention.
"Good," McGonagall said curtly, "And if no one else has anything they'd like to say-" she began but was cut off before she could announce that her class was starting by Sirius Black's hand shooting up into the air alarmingly fast. "Ah. I see Mr Black has a question."
